


Under Pressure

by Liz3yy317865



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Gen, Hospital Setting, Hospitals, Sick John, Slow Burn, gentle smut, slight angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2019-11-14 22:16:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18061175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liz3yy317865/pseuds/Liz3yy317865
Summary: John falls ill whilst recordingThis is based in early 82 whilst Hot Space was being worked on, everyone was stressed as we all know. Poor babies. Set in Montreux, the home of Mountain Studios. The guys were staying in a rather nice hotel a couple of miles away, and John and Brian were in a fledging relationship....This is angsty, but has an eventual happy ending….of sorts.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on an experience I went through several years ago which still affects me to this day, and was absolutely terrifying at the time

The day had started for Deaky like any other during the previous few weeks, up at the crack of dawn thanks to his still messed up body block (who’s idea was it again to squeeze in a quick trip to the US for some promotional stuff?…..yeah thanks Miami…). John yawned loudly, rolling over in his huge king size bed and glanced at the clock on his nightstand, “nuts to it, may as well get up and get something done” 

The room was startlingly light even with the curtains closed, “today looks like it’s going to be a cracker” Deaks thought to himself as he hauled himself out of bed and stumbled towards his dresser. “Might have to head over to the lake for a bit later” grabbing a cigarette without thinking from the almost empty packet he had slung there last night. Truth be told he shouldn’t be smoking at all, he had given up almost 3 years ago and had done so well, earning some rare praise from Brian. Recording had been so stressful recently though he had found himself reaching for the only thing that seemed to help calm his frazzled nerves and increasingly hot temper. 

Once suitably caffeinated, cigarette finished, showered and dressed, John flung the curtains open immediately wishing he hadn’t… “christ, that’s bright!, and it’s only 7am!” he cursed to himself having to look away quickly as the early morning sun burned itself into his retina. He blinked rapidly whilst reaching for his jacket and keys, waiting for his eyesight to return to normal…only thing was, it didn’t…

The drive from their hotel to the studio was short, less than 10 minutes on a good day, however; John found it hard going thanks to the bright early morning sun threatening to dazzle him from all angles and the fact that he still couldn’t seem to see very well out of his left eye. He breathed a sigh of relief as the building came into view, and he realised that the rest of the band hadn’t arrived yet, seeing as the car park was virtually empty. 

Pulling into a space and shutting off the ignition, John looked up and winced, “gods sake!, damn sun spots shouldn’t last this long!” He huffed and got out of the car slowly, surprised at a sudden dizzy spell making him feel a little light headed. It cleared just as soon as it came on thankfully, making him think he just needed some food and yet more coffee. 

John was alone in the studio for pretty much the whole morning, giving him a chance to work on some overdubs he’d started the previous afternoon. Without the others in the way, he could afford to indulge himself and get a bit experimental. The only other person he saw come in before midday was Chris, Queens’ private doctor. The Management had insisted on the group having one since Brian’s unfortunate fight with hepatitis several years earlier. He happened to be in the area and popped in to see how the guys were getting on. 

All morning John had made decent progress but was becoming more and more annoyed at the issue with his left eye. The supposed sun spot still hadn’t gone after several hours and it was starting to affect his work, he was squinting, getting a head ache and struggling to read some of the lyrics he’d jotted down. “This isn’t right….” he grimly thought to himself. 

At that moment Chris chose to wander into the room and waved a cheerful greeting as he entered. “Hey John, how’s it going? you leave the others in bed again?!” chuckling to himself, but soon stopped himself when he saw the fed up and concerned look on John’s face. “You ok? what’s up?, you’ve not been pulling all nighters again have you?” 

“No, no nothing like that” John murmured as he got up slowly and walked towards Chris. He looked up at him and took a deep breath…”Chris, can you have a look at my eye for me please? something’s bothering me, has been all morning” whilst pointing at his face. “yeah of course, let’s go into the office” 

Feeling grateful that the rest of the band still hadn’t shown their faces, John took a seat across from Chris and nervously wrung his hands. “What’s going on then John, what’s the problem with your eye?” John explained as best he could what had happened that morning, from getting up, opening the curtains in his plush hotel room and getting what he assumed was a sun spot on his eye after looking at the bright light a little too long. “thing is” John confessed, “the spot is still there, and it’s affecting my vision” 

Chris frowned and grabbed his medical bag from behind him, encouraging John to lean forwards. Chris examined John’s eye intently. several times before sitting back and declaring nothing seemed out of the ordinary. “I can’t see anything on your eye John, can you describe or better still show me what the issue is?” shoving a piece of paper and pen towards the bassist. John took the pen and drew the rough shape of an eye, then to Chris’s concern scribbled a large mark over most it. “That” John exclaimed, “is what I can see on my left eye, like someone has taken a pen and scribbled across it” 

Chris looked alarmed and immediately grabbed for his blood pressure monitor. Without a word he took John’s right arm, rolled his sleeve up and wrapped the cuff around his bicep. “What are you doing Chris?!” “keep still John please, just sit there quietly whilst I take a reading” The machine beeped into life and the cuff slowly inflated….and inflated….and inflated….eventually, the cuff got so tight that John cried out in pain and reached over to tear it off. “please leave it John, it’s almost done” “but it hurts!” John cried. Finally the beeping stopped and the cuff began to deflate, leaving John to sag back in his chair in relief. 

Chris took one look at the reading and immediately starting typing something out on the office typewriter, leaving John to stare at him nervously whilst massaging his sore bicep. Finally he couldn’t take the silence any longer…”Chris, what’s going on?, what was the reading?, what do you think the problem is?” 

As John finished speaking Chris tore the paper from the typewriter, stuffed it into an envelope and held it out for John to take who just stared at him, eyes wide with fear. “I’m sorry to sound so blunt, John but you need to get to hospital now!” “You WHAT?!” he cried, “what on earth for?!” “John, your blood pressure is through the roof, it’s more than double what it should be for a man your age, what with that and your eye issue, I’m worried this could serious” 

With that Chris quickly stood, motioning for John to follow him. “Come on, we can take my car, the sooner we get you seen the better” John had never felt such an impending sense of doom as he was right now….


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay in updating this, I've struggled a little with getting this done. This is a fairly short chapter, but never fear there will be more angst and comfort to come.

The short journey to the hospital was in a word, tortuous. Chris wouldn’t let John drive so he had no choice but to sit back and try and stop his brain from going into melt down, fogged up and frazzled with nerves and fear. 

It only took 10 minutes to reach the nearest emergency room, but it may as well have been 10 hours in John’s mind. He was ashamed to admit he was terrified and couldn’t bring himself to use his words and ask his doctor friend what he thought was going on. There was something apparently very wrong with him but he didn’t know what. 

On arrival at the hospital (a well respected private one covered by the bands insurance), Deaky took a seat in the waiting room whilst Chris booked him in at reception, explaining the problem to the nurse on duty and describing John’s symptoms. 

Fortunately to John’s relief the emergency room that afternoon was fairly quiet with only a handful of other patients waiting to be seen, none of whom seemed to have recognised him, or at least if did they had the good grace not to stare. 

“Right” Chris exclaimed, suddenly appearing in front of him. “I’ve registered your details, and a doctor will be with us shortly, I’ll handle all the paperwork don’t worry” as he patted John’s knee and took a seat next to him, doing his best to keep calm and contained. John finally found his voice at that point and managed to croak out a quiet thanks. 

Looking down at his feet, he cleared his throat several times the glanced up at Chris. “What erm, what……erm….do you think is errr…..wrong with me?” 

“We’ll have to wait for the specialists here to check you over to be certain” Chris explained quietly “but I think, and please don’t freak out when I say this…I believe you have something known as malignant hypertension” 

“Wha…what?! John couldn’t believe what he was hearing, eyes wide and hands shaking, “malignant means cancerous doesn’t it?!” 

Chris immediately regretted saying anything, raising his hands , palms forward in a placating manner. “no, no it’s nothing to do with cancer, it’s just a name…..look please try and keep calm, I know your frightened but getting stressed isn’t going to help” 

John felt tears threaten to spill from his eyes. “this is bad….” he whispered. “I need to call the guys, shit they don’t know where I am! I need to find a phone…..” he leapt to his feet suddenly determined to get a message to his friends and band mates but before he could take a single step a warm hand on his arm stopped him.

“Mr Deacon? please follow me” a softly spoken female doctor was stood in front of them. short, slightly stocky but kind looking with a slight smile on her friendly looking face. John shot a panicked look at Chris behind him, he was torn between wanting to get a message to his friends (Brian especially) and in getting his medical examination over with. 

“Go on John, let the good doctor take care of you, I’ll get a message to the guys” Chris smiled softly at him. After a long moments hesitation John relented and nodded “OK, erm, tell the guys I’m ok, I don’t want them worrying” Chris wasn’t having it however, “John, I’m going to tell them the truth, I can’t lie to them, Brian especially…..look I’ll be here waiting for when you’re done ok?” 

Chris watched as John reluctantly followed the doctor to an examination room, trying to ignore the feeling of dread in his stomach. 

The nurses were kind enough to let him use a phone in a quiet side room to give him some privacy, one of the perks of being associated with a famous rock band. Dialing the number for the studio (figuring that was the best place to catch the other band members) he sat nervously waiting for someone to answer…..

“Hello?” a raspy voice answered “Roger? it’s Chris, listen erm….I have some news, potentially bad news….I’m at the hospital with John” He guessed it was best to just be honest and come out with the details without dancing around the issue. 

“……..hospital?! what the fuck……what’s going on? is Deaky ok?!” 

Sighing, Chris pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know, he’s being examined at the moment, is Brian there?” 

He frowned as he heard a muffled commotion at the other end of the line, shouting in the background, swearing….then silence before a shaky sounding Brian came on the line.

“Chris…wh…what’s happening?, what’s going on? I knew something was up when I couldn’t find Deaky at the hotel….or the studio……” “Brian mate”, calm down….you need to get here as soon as, John’s in good hands but he’s going to need you, all of you” 

“We’re on our way” 

With that Chris hung up the phone sighing, wandering back in the main waiting area. It was going to be a long night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 3 folks, with plenty more angst for you. The medical stuff is based on my own experiences a few years back, so should be fairly accurate, hope you enjoy

Chapter 3:

The last time Chris had to deal with anything serious concerning the band was a while ago now he thought to himself, scratching his chin and glancing up at the ceiling, it must have been a good 5 years back when John had a funny five, completely out of character, and had drunkenly punched a glass window after a gig. The blood, shock, stitches, rather upset hotel management and a hysterical Freddie had made it a night to forget….bit like tonight really…

Being paid to look after the health and welfare of one of the worlds biggest rock bands had put him in a privileged position. He’d travelled the world several times over, lurked backstage at every single Queen concert since early 77, and had full access to their medical records. He never imagined he’d end up dealing with a potentially life threatening incident along the way. 

He was bought crashing back to the present at that moment, when he heard then spotted three somewhat distressed and disheveled men come bounding through the doors, at last they’re here he thought. Though at the same time he wasn’t relishing the prospect of having to explain what was going on with their “little brother”.

“Where is he?!”, “where’s Deaky?!” “What’s going on?!…” the three of them were babbling over each other as they approached Chris, arms flapping and eyes wide in fear. This was not going to be easy. 

It took several long minutes to calm everyone down, which was essential to avoid drawing attention to themselves and to avoid security kicking them out, famous rock stars or not. The last thing they needed right now was the press getting wind of the situation. 

The four of them retreated to the relative safety of the private side room Chris had phoned the band from earlier, sighing deeply he turned to face them and braced himself. “Sit down guys please, we may be here for a while” 

All three of them stared at Chris, Freddie wide eyed and and stock still, Roger nervously tapping his foot and muttering to himself, whilst Brian was desperately trying to stop his tears from falling. “Bear with me guys, it’s a long story” Chris began.

“I met John at the studio this morning, just before Midday, I thought he’d pulled an all nighter as he looked so fed up and tired. I was in the area so thought I’d just drop in and say hi”. Chris was met with a somewhat awkward silence so carried on. 

“He asked me to look at his eye as it was bothering him” Brian was the first to speak up at hearing that. “His eye?, he didn’t mention anything last night?” before tailing off. “It came on this morning, or at least that’s what he told me” Chris continued. “he said there was a mark on his eye, like a sun spot but it didn’t fade like you might expect, it was effecting his vision and giving him a headache” 

“He has problems with his blood pressure, I took a reading and it was through the roof….how he was still standing is anyones guess. We’ll have to wait for the specialists verdict…but….he’s at serious immediate risk of a heart attack, kidney failure or stroke” 

At those words Chris was met with a chorus of shocked gasps, “WTF’s?!” and “he’s too bloody young!” Roger was angrily pacing the small room, Freddie had his head in his hands and Brian simply sat still staring at Chris with a horrified look on his face. 

Before he had a chance to say anything else a sudden knock on the door startled them all, a doctor appeared holding a clipboard, the same specialist that had taken John several hours ago to be examined. “friends of Mr. Deacon?” “yes that’s us” Roger hurried over, “how is he?” 

Closing the door behind her the doctor smiled gently and gestured for everyone to take a seat before directing her attention to Chris. “Mr name is Doctor Gerard and I am in charge of Mr Deacon’s care, I understand you are his private physician?” Chris confirmed he was before asking what was going on. 

“You were very wise to bring him here so promptly, he is a sick man I am afraid and we have had to admit him to our high dependency unit” Addressing the room in general she continued, “He is suffering from what is known in the medical profession as malignant hypertension, put simply this means blood pressure that suddenly rises dangerously high and that causes organ damage” 

“Why has this happened?” Brian asked tearfully, “at this stage I’m afraid we simply do not know, we will need to run some tests to establish the cause and to determine what damage has been done to your friends eye” 

“The two are related aren’t they?” Roger spoke up, “they are indeed” Doctor Gerard explained, “The blood pressure rose so high so quickly that it caused a blood vessel to burst at the back of the eye. To avoid further damage we must bring the blood pressure down to normal levels quickly but safely. To do so we are administering medication intravenously and are monitoring your friend very closely” 

“He’ll be ok though right?” Freddie asked, “he has to be, he’s so young” 

“We are doing everything we can for him, I assure you. His chances of a full recovery are high thanks to us being able to treat him so promptly, though I must warn you there may be complications”

Brian couldn’t believe what he was hearing, the man he loved may not pull through? “What do you mean, complications?” 

“Whilst the blood pressure needs to be bought down to a normal level, we must take care it is not done too quickly. A sudden rapid drop in blood pressure can cause organ hypoperfusion which can result in organ failure and sepsis. It is a somewhat delicate procedure” 

At those words the room was filled with a stunned silence, not quite able to believe what was happening. 24 hours ago John was laughing and joking with his bandmates, enjoying a chilled out evening in Freddie’s suite. Now he was fighting for his life, and for no apparent reason. 

The silence was broken by a wobbly sounding Roger “Can we see him?” 

“Yes you may, visitors hours are over now however I understand how distressed you must be….we can allow you to pay your friend a brief visit to put your minds at rest though we can only allow this for a few minutes, as Mr. Deacon does need to rest and remain calm” 

With that the 4 men gloomily traipsed upstairs to the ICU, hoping and praying that their friend and bandmate would recover.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 is here! Hope you guys are still enjoying this :) Comments are very welcome

John was being treated in a private room in the high dependency unit of ICU on the 6th floor of the hospital, it was large, warm and comfortable, nothing like the cold and somewhat clinical medical centres back in the UK. 

Thank the lord for private medical insurance. 

Freddie, Brian and Roger made their way to the HDU in an uneasy silence, with Chris bringing up the rear, holding back a few feet. He was keen to check on John too but sensed his presence at this difficult time may not be all that welcome. Queen were a tight knit unit, everyone understood that, and it was likely that an “outsider” to the group at this moment would simply get in the way. 

Chris made the decision to head back to the hotel, and call Miami as it suddenly dawned on him that the bands manager had no clue about the days events. Not wanting to stress the others any further he left them alone deciding he’d leave a message with the senior nurse on his way out. 

The senior nurse in charge of Johns care that night had been informed he had a group of visitors on the way, and given strict instructions from his doctor to allow them 10 minutes with the bassist with no exceptions. His bandmates certainly weren’t complaining though, mostly due to their emotional exhaustion. It really had been a strange day. 

“You have 10 minutes gentleman” the stern looking nurse informed them as they reached the entrance to Johns room. Brian made to open the door but stopped as he sensed hesitation behind him. “Aren’t you guys coming in?” Roger and Freddie were looking nervous and side eyeing each other. “You go in darling” Freddie blurted out quietly, “Deaky needs you, we can catch up with him in the morning” 

It was well known within the bands inner circle that John and Brian were dating, they’d been seeing each other for 3 months after Brian drunkenly declared his love for his younger band mate one evening. When the next morning he realised he still felt the same way he bit the bullet and asked John out. The young bassist was shocked but gladly agreed as he had to admit, he’d also had a bit of a crush on the guitarist for a while. 

“Don’t be daft, Deaks will want to see you guys too, and you Chris” Brian reached out a hand to both Freddie and Roger, and nodded at Chris behind them, he shook his head however “No it’s fine, it’ll be too crowded in there with me in the way, I’ll head back and sort the paperwork and stuff out, need to call Jim as well. He needs to know what’s going on”

Brian gave Chris a grateful smile whilst both Roger and Freddie turned to envelope the man in a group hug, they all knew how indebted they were to him for spotting that John was ill and for acting on his concerns so quickly, he had certainly earned his pay and a pint or two. With that Chris patted them all on the back then headed off back to the hotel leaving the 3 bandmates standing in silence. “Come on, lets do this” Brian eventually opened the door, a little nervous about what he would find on the other side. 

What they were met with was the heart breaking sight of a miserable and very tired looking John lying in the huge bed covered in layers of blankets up to his waist, an IV in one arm, blood pressure cuff on the other and a heart monitor attached to his bare chest. 

He looked up when he noticed movement by the door and he managed a small slightly dopey smile. Brian strode over to him and leaned down for a gentle hug, taking care to avoid the machinery and tubing around him, whilst planting a chaste kiss on his lips. “Christ, I’ve been so worried about you Deaky, we all have, how are you feeling”? 

Pulling a chair up each to the side of the bed, all 3 of John’s bandmates looked him over worriedly, he looked pretty awful. 

“I’ve felt better” John whispered, before clearing his throat and speaking a bit louder. “I’m exhausted” he admitted whilst rubbing his eyes. “I’ve been prodded and poked for hours and now I’ve been told I’m stuck here until my blood pressure comes down…it could take days. It was so high when I got here that it was putting a strain on my heart apparently” He looked up to the ceiling with a sigh and tried to stop the tears from spilling down his cheeks. 

Roger leaned over and gently rubbed his arm “you’re in the best place Deaks, I know this must be frightening but they’ll sort you out” 

“Yes darling” Freddie agreed, “in no time at all you’ll be back in the studio doing what you do best…winding Brian up and making fun of Rogers hair!” The singers attempt at a joke fell a little flat but John still managed a watery smile at him. 

“Chris told us what happened this morning love, must have been terrifying, but how come you didn’t mention anything last night?” Brian was sure John was hiding something from him. “I didn’t say anything last night Bri because there was nothing to tell, I was fine….really, all this came on a few hours ago and I’m damned if I know why. How the hell can I be right as rain one minute then on a verge of a stroke or a heart attach the next?!, it doesn’t make any sense, why would I lie to you about this?! I’m not hiding anything from you or from anyone I swear….fuck….I….GOD!” With that he lowered his head into his hands and burst into tears. 

Brian had to hold his own tears back, and did his best to calm his lover by stroking his face gently with his thumb and whispering calming words to him, but it didn’t seem to be working. It was agony to see John so vulnerable and distressed. All Roger and Freddie could do was watch. A nurse suddenly appeared in the doorway having been alerted to John’s increased heart rate. “I think that’s enough for now please gentlemen, we cannot allow Mr Deacon to get stressed, he needs to rest and stay calm” 

Reluctantly his band mates moved their chairs back to the side of the room and made to leave, but not before giving John a hug and a peck on the cheek. “Visitors hours are over for the evening but you may return tomorrow morning” The nurse explained. 

John was shaking slightly as Brian approached him once more, pulling him into a light hug and kissing the top of his head “I love you…I’m so sorry for doubting you……try and get some rest ok?, I’ll see you tomorrow morning” 

Freddie and Roger hung back to give the couple a little privacy, giving each other worried glances. They knew for Deaky’s sake they had to stay positive but it was difficult considering the circumstances. 

With that the 3 of them left the room waving at John as they went. Brian turned back as he closed the door behind him and caught a glimpse of the nurse who had kicked them out helping John to settle down for the night, lowering the bed, tucking him in and checking his IV and monitors. It made his heart ache to leave John there alone all night, but he knew deep down it was for the best. He only hoped that a good nights sleep would do him good. 

“Come on Bri” Roger flung an arm around his shoulders, “lets head back, you must be as knackered as I feel” “Yes dear” Freddie agreed, “we’ll do no good hanging around here all night, Deaky is in good hands” 

Brian really didn’t want to leave and stared forlornly at the door to John’s room, his bandmates had to practically drag him away. With a large sigh he gave in and slowly followed the other two out of the hospital and back to their hotel. 

Sleep would be a long time coming for him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter folks, hope you enjoy! Comments would be appreciated :)

Chapter 5 

Sleep didn’t come easily for anyone the night John was admitted to hospital; Freddie gave up after over an hour staring at the ceiling and spent the rest of the night composing song lyrics until he dropped off at his desk, Roger didn’t fare much better and ended up watching some random old school movie on the hotel TV until exhaustion got the better of him, whilst Brian….well Brian didn’t really do anything, he couldn’t. On getting back to the hotel and bidding his band mates goodnight he simply entered his room, shook off his shoes and jacket, made his way to the couch in the corner, slumped down and just sat there. 

The guitarists eyes burned with fatigue but he couldn’t bring himself to even try and sleep, all he could do at that moment was sit there and worry; worry about his younger band mate and partner, worry as he thought about how scared he’d been earlier that evening, worry as no-one seemed to know what had caused John’s sudden and totally unexpected illness. 

“Oh this is ridiculous” Brian said to himself out loud as he quickly and suddenly stood, and began pacing around the room. “this isn’t doing me or Deaky any good……great now I’m talking to myself….” Brian let out an exasperated huff and let his hands fall limply to his sides before stopping to gaze around the room. 

Suddenly his eyes landed on a watch on the dresser by the window, John’s watch….he’d left it there the night before last and the sight of the time piece made Brian’s resolve crumble and the tears started to fall. slowly he walked over and gently picked it up, stroking the shiny silver dial with his thumb. A watery smile came to his lips as the sight of it made him think back to that wonderful night just over 48 hours ago…

Along with his 3 bandmates he’d had a good day in the studio, a rare thing of late. They’d all been so pleased with their progress that day it was deemed a celebration was in order….namely a piss up in Freddie’s suite with whatever room service they saw fit to order. “Bollox to it!” Roger had declared, they had all earned it. 

Several hours were spent happily drinking, eating and laughing together, just the 4 of them locked away from the rest of the world. Enjoying each others company for a change and not thinking about the music or the album, any talk of that was banned for the evening. Instead the guys concentrated on strengthening their friendship and group bond which had been strained of late they had to admit. 

Sometime after 1am Freddie dramatically stood and declared, despite how much fun they were having, that he’d had enough for the night and needed his sleep. “Off you fuck now darlings. I need my beauty sleep, and god knows Roger desperately needs his!” “Oi! Roger was scandalised, “How very dare you!” before bursting out laughing “I’m the most beautiful one here you cheeky swine!” 

Watching the colourful banter between the two fondly, Brian leaned towards John and whispered in his ear, “you’re the most beautiful one in this room…I’ll prove it to you later” The younger man blushed all the way to his toes and looked down, gently biting his lip. The bassist still struggled at times with accepting compliments from his boyfriend, especially those with a certain tone to them….it was obvious what Brian was hinting at. 

“Hey, lovebirds get a room!” Roger ruined the moment, as always. “OK, ok, we’re going, come on Deaks, lets leave these two in peace…” before chuckling softly and winking at Freddie. 

“Oh don’t try that with me May” Freddie retorted in a playful tone, “we all know the only two of us getting any sleep tonight will be me and Blondie here” Before giving Brian a knowing look. 

“Fred, what have I told you about calling me that?!” 

Roger launched himself at Freddie. He pulled the singer into a playful headlock, tackling and half dragging him across the room whilst trying to tickle him anywhere he could reach. 

“Those two are like a pair of big kids” John thought to himself happily as he stood, “Don’t worry guys” he called out as he took Brian’s hand, “we’ll try to keep it down….” 

The two lovers ambled down the corridor hand in hand whispering to each other. As they reached the door to Brian’s suite he stopped, placing his hand on John’s waist whilst turning to gaze lovingly at him. 

“Stay here tonight?” he asked softly.

“Well I guess I could” John replied slowly, teasingly, voice low and husky, “it would save me the walk down the hall….”

“I’ll make it worth your while darling…..” Brian moved his hands to cup the bassists face, before leaning down for a gentle kiss. 

How could John say no to that? 

The two lovers had woken up in Brian’s room several hours later. They all had their own hotel rooms, the bands management for reasons of discretion always booked the 4 men their own rooms now they could easily afford it, but lately John had been inclined to sleep in his own bed less and less as he grew more confident and comfortable in his relationship with Brian. 

They showered together after prising themselves out of bed and their loving embrace, John with his head resting on Brian’s chest as it usually did. He always found it easy to fall asleep like that, cuddled up to his partner with limbs (and backside) aching slightly from a night of passionate love making. 

The bathroom was filled with the soft groans and moans of the pair pleasuring each other under the steamy, hot running water. Brian was insatiable today, going in for round two as soon as the bathroom door was closed and John certainly wasn’t complaining, loving any opportunity to have his lover worship his body. 

As they dried each other off and got dressed, stealing kisses along the way, Brian couldn’t help thinking how lucky he was to be dating John. To love and be loved back by the handsome young bassist, quiet and often shy but fiercely loyal with an surprisingly sharp wit and tongue, he was everything to the guitarist. He sometimes had to pinch himself to believe it, that Deaky had agreed when Brian had asked him out. 

Now back in the present, Brian shook his head sadly. He was having such a great time with John, and was positive the two of them would be together for a good many years to come, but he was also scared deep down that it could so easily be taken from him. 

With a sigh, Brian placed the watch gently back on the dresser and forced himself to get ready for bed. He was feeling sorry for himself but knew that Deaky was suffering far more, and would need him awake and alert to get through the coming days. 

He could only hope that Deaky was having a better night…


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's taken so long to update this, I've struggled a little with this chapter if I'm totally honest. Hope you enjoy!

The next morning seemed to come far too soon as far as Brian was concerned, in that he’d barely slept a wink or at least it felt like he hadn’t. His head had hit the pillow only 5 minutes ago hadn’t it? He resisted the urge to throw his alarm clock across the room, which was wailing in his ear, instead reaching out to whack it into silence. Why on earth had he set his alarm anyway…….? The guitarists sleep fogged brain had trouble for a split second in working out what was going on and what day it was….then the previous days events crashed over him and he abruptly sat up with a gasp, eyes watering……had he been dreaming? 

A loud knock at his door and Roger urgently calling his name pulled him back into the present, and he suddenly remembered he’d set the alarm so that he wouldn’t sleep in too late, and could be at the hospital to visit John as early as was allowed. Well that had clearly gone well…..

“Shit I overslept” Brian mumbled to himself as he ran his hands roughly through his disheveled hair, clambering out of bed to open the door. 

“You ready then Bri, we need to g…..” Roger stopped short as he caught sight of his friends somewhat rough and crumpled appearance. 

“No…..I set the alarm but I must have slept through it…..fuck!” 

Roger luckily had slept a lot better than Brian had so was awake and lucid enough to take charge and ensure his bandmate calmed down and got his act together. Striding into the room, he took Brian by the arm and steered him towards the bathroom. 

“Calm down, take a shower and wake up mate” the drummer demanded, “in that order, Deaky will still be at the hospital whatever time we get there, you’re just not going looking like that” 

Brian had no choice but to comply and swiftly sorted himself out, freshening up and downing enough coffee to sink a battleship. Once Roger agreed that he appeared to look more human even if he didn’t feel it, they set off back to the hospital, collecting Freddie en route. 

All 3 men were praying that John had had a decent night, had gotten some rest and was in a better condition than he’d been the previous evening. When they arrived at the ICU though and approached the bassists room it became clear all was not quite right…..

“Fucks sake, will you please leave me alone?!” 

Brian was about to open the door, when he heard what sounded like John’s voice angrily cry out. He froze and turned to see that Freddie and Roger’s stunned faces matched his own. 

“W..was that Deaky?!” Roger whispered “What the hell is going on in there?” 

His question was answered when the door was suddenly opened by a rather flustered looking nurse. She quietly closed the door behind her and stopped abruptly as she realised she had company. 

“What’s happening, what’s going on, is John ok?!” Brian demanded before Freddie placed a calming hand on his arm, gently pulling him back slightly to give the nurse some breathing space. 

The nurse gave a sigh and composed herself before speaking. 

“Mr Deacon as you may have heard is somewhat upset and a little grumpy this morning” 

“A little?!, sounds like he’s being tortured in there!” Brian was outraged on his lovers behalf, his weary mind going into overdrive with worry, they were meant to be making him better not hurting him. 

“Brian……” Freddie warned, this would not end well if he couldn’t control himself. 

Brian apologised for his behaviour, and after being reassured by his bandmates that he wasn’t about to fly totally off the handle the nurse explained the cause of John’s sudden angry outburst. 

“As you know Mr. Deacons blood pressure was dangerously high when he was admitted yesterday, a normal healthy BP for a man of his age should be less than 120/70, however when examined it was found to be 240/140….The only way to bring it down safely and quickly enough was with intravenous medication, and unfortunately for Mr. Deacon we have had to take a reading on a regular basis throughout the night….. every 30 minutes” 

“That doesn’t explain why he would be so pissed off this morning?” Freddie spoke up 

Roger having studied biology understood what the nurse was getting at and turned to look at the singer, “Freddie have you ever had a blood pressure reading taken before?, the only truly accurate way as far as I know is to use a BP monitor, you know with the cuff round the arm? Imagine that going off every half an hour…..”

“……oh……” Freddie suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for his younger bandmate. 

“Yes oh….the poor guy must be exhausted if they had to wake him all through the night, not to mention how sore his arm must be by now, I’m not surprised that he snapped” The drummer folded his arms and turned to glare at the nurse briefly, before his face softened. “Though I guess that is the only way to check the medication is working right?” 

“Yes that is correct, it wasn’t pleasant for all involved however I am pleased to say that the medication is working and Mr. Deacon’s blood pressure is coming down, though it is still higher than we would like” 

At hearing the good news Brian’s face lit up “that’s excellent news, so he’ll be able to leave soon right?” 

“I’m afraid not no, his blood pressure is still too high, plus I understand that a series of tests have been arranged to determine the underlying cause, it may be a few days until Mr. Deacon is well enough to be discharged. I also should tell you that your friend has threatened more than once this morning to discharge himself…..” 

There was a collective gasp and mutters of “oh shit” and “god no Deaky….” 

Brian sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Let me talk to him, I don’t know if can get any sense into him but I can at least try” 

Sensing it was best to keep out of the way, Roger and Freddie nodded their agreement before wandering off in search of the hospital cafe, overwhelming the bassist clearly wasn’t the best course of action right now. 

Letting out a big sigh he didn’t realise he was holding, Brian hesitantly gripped the door handle, turning it slowly. A pissed off John Richard Deacon was not a good thing at the best of times, and the guitarist was in all honestly downright terrified of being on the receiving end of the bassists bad mood under these difficult circumstances. He risked a glance at the nurse who smiled sadly at him. 

“Your friend is under a lot of stress right now, so his reactions are understandable. However, it really is in his best interests to stay and receive the treatment he needs. Legally we can’t keep him here if he want’s to discharge himself, but we strongly recommend that he doesn’t” 

Brian nodded and thanked the nurse for her kind words, before biting the bullet and walking slowly into the room, not wanting to startle his lover. 

John looked up as he heard movement by the door, he was curled up on the bed, tangled up in the covers with a book in hand and looking only slightly less pale and tired that he had the night before. 

Brian smiled at him and reached out to take his hand as he approached the bed, carefully taking a seat and leaning down to give the bassist a kiss. 

“How are you feeling love?, did you sleep ok?” 

John placed the book down on the bed next to him before rubbing his eyes. Looking up at Brian he sighed and fidgeted slightly, gesturing towards the cuff on his right bicep. 

“No, not really” He replied quietly, “I didn’t sleep well at all….this stupid thing kept going off all night….” 

Brian not wanting to antagonise or push his boyfriend further simply murmured a gentle “I’m sorry darling” before pulling him into a hug, rubbing soothing circles over his lower back. John leaned into the touch, closing his eyes and signing deeply. It seemed that he was finally starting to relax. 

“It won’t be long until we can get you out of here love, you’re on the mend. They just need to run some tests first” 

John eased himself out of Brian’s embrace to look up at him, scrubbing a hand across his face. “I know.....doctor told me this morning, I erm....guess things could be worse right?, I just wish…..I just wish I knew why this has happened” 

“We all do love, the guys are worried sick about you. All I ask is that you try and relax, let the nurses look after you, do what they need to do to get you well again.....they’re only doing their job” 

John flopped back against the pillow with a grunt, “you’re right....you’re always bloody right....running away isn’t going to make this better” 

Feeling satisfied that Deaky had calmed down sufficiently not to make a run for it or clobber the next nurse who even looked at him, Brian felt his shoulders drop in relief. His boyfriend could be a stubborn sod at times. 

“So have they told you much about the tests they need to run?” 

“Yeah…….they mentioned some blood tests, one for cholesterol....erm an echocardiosomethingorother.....” John trailed off, a confused look on his face. “Oh and an ultrasound” 

“Ultrasound? They do know you’re male right?!” Brian couldn’t resist a little joke

“Idiot.....John giggled, “of my kidneys……..once they’re all done with any luck they’ll know bought all this on……” 

Brian nodded, feeling hopeful that the tests would indeed highlight the cause, though at the same time feeling a little worried as to what that cause could be. John had no underlying health conditions that they knew of, and the bassist had no reason to keep anything relating to his health a secret. It really was a total mystery. 

Taking in his partners dejected and weary posture Brian frowned, before a thought came to him. What was the one thing he could do to help John relax? He couldn’t achieve an awful lot whilst the bassist was in the hospital beyond simply being there for him and to love and support him, however; once he was discharged he was certain the younger man would need a lot of TLC and rest whilst he fully recovered from his ordeal. 

“Deaky love, once you’re out of here how about we go away for a while, just the two us?” Since the pair had started dating they hadn’t spent more than a couple of days alone together. 

John’s face lit up “Do you mean a holiday?” 

Brian nodded “yeah why not, god knows we could both do with one, you especially after all this. I can look into flights, and hotels…..” 

“Bri love, that sounds perfect but we don’t need to fly anywhere, I don’t care where we go as long as I’m with you” 

“It’s a date then” The older man beamed happily, “anywhere you want” 

A light knock at the door interrupted them and John’s nurse appeared to declare it was time for the first of his battery of tests. 

“That’s my cue love” Brian pulled John into a gentle embrace, kissing his cheek and murmuring his ear, “remember what I said earlier, relax, go with it and let the nurses take care of you. I’ll be back this afternoon ok? I love you….so much”

John blinked back happy tears “I love you too Bri, thank you for being here” 

With that the two men reluctantly broke apart leaving the bassist to sink back against his mountain of pillows with a happy sigh, he suddenly felt a lot more positive.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter!
> 
> I hope people are still enjoying this, and that it's all still making sense. 
> 
> I'd appreciate comments and thoughts on how this is going, and where you'd like the story to go from here, I'm not experienced in writing full on smut, but I could squeeze some in if it's wanted?

5 days. 

5 seemingly endless days was how long it took to undertake all the tests John’s doctor and specialists deemed necessary, and for his blood pressure to return to normal. 

In reality the tests could have all been completed within 48 hours, but the decision was taken early on to space them out so as not to overwhelm the young bassist. Granted they didn’t want to keep him there any longer than they had to, but his mental state was just as important as his physical one. 

A doting Brian was at Deaky’s side as much as possible; holding his hand, whispering soothing words to him or just simply sitting there quietly. He would only leave when he had to sleep, eat, use the bathroom or go fetch any supplies that his boyfriend needed. John tried initially to make out he was annoyed at the guitarists constant presence, but deep down was grateful for his support. 

Roger and Freddie weren’t being strangers however, they dropped by every day for a visit to see how their youngest bandmate was getting on and to relieve Brian, as he refused to move from John’s bedside unless the other two were there to take over. he was hesitant to leave the man alone, especially after what had happened during his blood tests…

The blood tests were carried out the morning after John was admitted; they were, the nurse explained, needed in order to check his cholesterol, blood sugar, adrenal glands and kidneys. Thankfully only one vial of blood was required, but John was still nervous as he had a thing about needles…

“Is this really necessary?” the bassist looked up at the nurse with pleading eyes

Brian took Deaky’s hand and rubbed gentle circles across his palm with this thumb “look at me John, not the nurse. It’ll be over before you know it” 

The nurse smiled kindly and instructed John to sit up whilst holding out his right arm and to make a fist. A suitable vein was found and the nurse set to work inserting the needle “You may feel a sharp prick, this won’t take long” 

Deaky winced and squeezed Brian’s hand tightly as the nurse continued. Within seconds it was over and the nurse was pushing John’s hand towards his shoulder, whilst pressing a cotton wool ball to the tiny wound. Hold this here please, I’ll get you a plaster. 

The nurse turned away to sort out the sample and a dressing for his arm. 

“See that wasn’t so bad love was it….? Brian tailed off as he took in John’s suddenly pale and sweaty complexion. “Are you ok….god you’re shaking!” 

The bassist shook his head and looked up “I…..I don’t feel well Bri…I feel a bit dizzy, lightheaded….” Black spots danced in his vision, he suddenly felt nauseous. Everything sounded far away. He then became vaguely aware of a voice similar to his own declaring “I think I’m gonna faint….”

Before Brian had a chance to react the nurse hurried over and lowered the bed so that John was lying completely horizontal, before gently lifting his legs. Seeing Brian’s panicked expression the nurse took John’s wrist and explained quietly “there’s no need to worry Sir, it’s quite common to faint when giving blood, he should come round in a moment” 

Deaky was out for less than 30 seconds. 

When he came to it took a moment for his brain to work out where he was. He was confused, hot and uncomfortable. He slowly opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was the nurse hovering over him, checking his heart rate and turning the blood pressure monitor on. 

“Wha….what happened, where’s Brian?” 

He turned his head slightly and noticed the guitarists face appear in his line of vision, staring at him with a concerned expression on his face “I’m here Deaks, you’re ok love, you’re fine” 

The nurse completed her checks and placed a gentle hand on John’s forehead, she frowned slightly at the heat radiating from his skin and jotted down a few notes in the bassists medical file. “I think we may have to adjust your medication Mr. Deacon, it seems to be working a little too well” 

John remained silent, still trying to catch his breath and work out what the hell had just happened to him, so Brian spoke up on his behalf. “Excuse me, but what do you mean nurse, is something wrong?” 

“No, there isn’t anything wrong at all. Your friends reaction is very common in this situation. It can be hit and miss when starting a patient on new medication, getting the right combination can take time and isn’t an exact science. It hasn’t helped either that we’ve had to take blood, that combined with the meds has caused a sudden drop in his blood pressure which caused the fainting. It’s not dangerous” 

Brian breathed a sigh of relief even if he wasn’t totally convinced by the nurses explanation. He had a niggling worry in the back of his mind that this could happen again. 

John decided he’d had enough of lying flat on his back and of staring at the ceiling, and moved to try and sit himself up. The nurse stopped him with a gentle but firm hand on his chest, “take it slowly and steady Mr. Deacon, I’ll move the head of the bed up for you” 

All eyes were on John as he eased himself upright and shuffled back to lean against the pillows, he let out a long sigh and swiped a hand across his forehead, thankfully it seemed he had cooled down enough to stop sweating, feeling a lot more comfortable than he had just a few minutes ago. 

The nurse lingered for a bit, checking John’s vitals again and sorting out the paperwork to go with the blood sample she’d taken. Once she was satisfied that her patient wasn’t in danger of passing out again she excused herself from the room after allowing Deaky to get up and get settled in a large comfy looking armchair next to his bed. “I’d recommend you take it easy this morning Mr. Deacon, however if you wish you may take a walk around the grounds this afternoon, Dr. Gerard has given her approval” 

With that she left the room leaving Brian and John in peace

Bri didn’t say a word, he just stared worriedly at his boyfriend, like he expected the man to suddenly combust or something. “Bri, I’m ok now, honestly, just a little shaken that’s all. I don’t think I’ve ever fainted before” 

“Oh love, I was just so worried that’s all…gotta admit it was pretty scary seeing you pass out like that” Brian looked at his hands and played with the hem of his shirt. It surprised him how scared he’d been during the commotion earlier. 

“I’m sorry…I’ll try not to do it again!” John giggled 

The two men sat in a slightly uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, stealing glances at each other, neither for some reason knowing what to say. Then Brian suddenly felt an overwhelming sensation flood through him which took his breath away and tears threatened to spill from his eyes, he had to look away before John suspected anything. 

Brian was in love. Sure he liked John…liked him a lot, he had deep feelings for the man and was having a great time dating him, they had slept together many times and the guitarist very much enjoyed the younger mans company, he had even told John that he loved him…but it suddenly dawned on Brian how much he actually did love him. He couldn’t stop thinking about John, he felt protective of him, he could really be himself around the younger man without judgement and he was thinking seriously about their future together. 

His strength of feelings towards his lover was almost frightening, after all what if John didn’t feel the same way? He could ask him of course but he figured a hospital room wasn’t exactly the most appropriate setting for that. Nope he would have to keep quiet for now he decided and let things progress naturally….

“Bri, you ok?, you’re erm…awfully quiet” John finally spoke up, breaking the spell Brian was under. “Yes love I’m fine, was just thinking that’s all” John wasn’t convinced, “I know you Bri, somethings bothering you, what’s wrong?” 

Brian stood and moved to envelope John in a hug, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and kissing him on the top of his head “Nothing’s bothering me honestly, I’m just tired I guess, it’s been a strange couple of days. I’m just glad you’re ok and are getting better” 

John smiled back at Brian and leaned into his touch, “I’m so lucky to have you” he murmured quietly, “You’re so good to me, and I cannot wait for our little holiday, it’ll be so nice to have some time to ourselves” Johns loving words made Brian feel a lot less anxious, he didn’t know what the future held but he was certain the two of them would make the most of it and have plenty of fun along the way. 

Brian couldn’t help beaming in delight as he held his boyfriend, rocking him gently, for how long he wasn’t sure; could have been 10 minutes, could have been half an hour. 

After a while he looked down as he noticed that John’s breathing had evened out and slowed down, and chuckled to himself as he realised that he’d fallen asleep. Not wanting to disturb his slumber Brian stayed where he was, gently stroking John’s hair. It was oddly soothing cuddled up like that together, squeezed into the armchair. 

Thankfully for both of them, it wouldn't be too much longer until John could go home, though he would have one hurdle to get over before he could....


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At last another chapter! I'm so sorry this has taken so long, life has been manic of late. I've done some research into the medical side of things here, but as ever with fiction it may not be entirely accurate 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Due to his young age and being otherwise relatively healthy, everyone assumed that John would be discharged as soon as all his tests had been carried out, after all there was nothing really wrong with him right? Brian in particular had convinced himself that his boyfriend would be leaving before the week was out, and that they could start planning their much talked about and well deserved holiday. Unfortunately for all concerned things weren’t going to be that simple…

John ended up needing to stay in hospital longer than expected, 10 days in fact. The bulk of his tests were carried out and came back totally clear; a chest x-ray revealed no fluid on his lungs, whilst both an echocardiogram and electrocardiogram proved that his heart was in perfect working order and no longer showing the strain that his initial super high blood pressure had been putting on it. 

Regular checks of his blood pressure also showed that it was returning to normal with the help of daily medication. At that point it seemed there had been no reason at all for John to fall ill, one of life’s mystery’s a nurse had commented, sometimes a cause simply isn’t found and it just has to be accepted. 

John himself took it all in good humour, whatever he thought. Just let’s get this all over with so I can get out of here and back to normal. His initial bad mood and distress at being admitted having been diluted by Brian’s soothing presence, and the promise of some downtime far away from anything to do with Queen or the music industry for a while. His guitarist boyfriend was a little more sceptical, but didn’t see the need to doubt the medical professionals. John was in good hands and being treated in one of the best medical centres in Europe after all. 

Freddie and Roger kept their thoughts to themselves about the situation, knowing stressing Deaky out with their opinions wouldn’t help his recovery. They simply showed up every day wearing a smile and bearing gifts of food, drink, books and magazines to help their young bassist friend while away the hours in-between being prodded and poked, and to help keep him sane and entertained. As the days went on the general feeling was that all was well, however; that all came to a crashing halt once the results of John’s urine test and kidney ultrasound came back…

On the afternoon of his fifth day in the hospital John was in good spirits, confident he would be released that very day as nothing untoward had yet been found, and the medication he’d been prescribed was having the desired effect. Brian had been convinced to get some rest back at the hotel and catch up on some much needed sleep whilst the bassist entertained himself. He’d kicked out Roger and Freddie from his room after their play fighting had almost broken a rather expensive looking piece of equipment. 

As he was settling down to continue with one of the books he’d been bought, a rather thrilling fantasy sci-fi novel Roger had gifted him, Deaky was interrupted by a light knock at the door. He frowned and sighed, closing the book and wondering who his visitor was, all his planned tests had been completed or so he thought, and the final results weren’t due back until later on that day, or so he’d been told. As he looked up he was surprised and a little concerned to see Dr. Gerard entering the room, paperwork in hand and a serious expression on her face. 

“Mr. Deacon…..we now have the results of your final tests, and I need to discuss them with you” the doctor gave the bassist a tight smile as she delivered these ominous words, before taking a seat next to him. John stared wide eyed at her, wringing his hands and fiddling with the hem of his shirt. He didn’t really know if he wanted to hear what she was about to tell him. 

“I, erm thought the final results wouldn’t be back until later on today?, what’s…..er…..what’s going on?” 

Dr. Gerard raised her clipboard and sighed softly before she began. “Well, Mr. Deacon….”

“Please, Dr. call me John…”

“John…..your urine test highlighted some abnormal hormone levels in your left kidney, in addition; higher than normal levels of blood and protein” 

“Ok…..erm……what does that mean?” 

Deaky could feel his heart thumping in his chest, and his face heating up as he struggled to get his words out. How he wished Brian was here right now. 

Dr. Gerard studied some notes on her clipboard before looking up 

“John, I also have to tell you that the ultrasound we performed yesterday has shown an abnormality in one of the adrenal glands, it’s small but at the same time large enough to be a problem…..”

John could hear the roar of blood rushing through his ears…..this couldn’t be happening……he suddenly felt his throat tighten and tears form in the corners of his eyes.

Dr. Gerard leaned forward as she sensed her patients distress

“I’m going to be totally honest with you, and will explain this as simply as I can. You have a benign tumour known as a pheochromocytoma in the adrenal gland above your left kidney. The tumour is causing the gland to make too much of the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine. We have now established that this is the cause of your high blood pressure”

John was stunned into silence….a tumour….that was the only word he could concentrate on, everything else was just a jumbled noise. A tumour, that meant he had have cancer didn’t it?…..tears spilled from his eyes as he struggled to process his apparent diagnosis.

“Please be assured the tumour is benign, it is not cancerous ok? You do NOT have cancer….look at me please, I need to know you understand what I’m saying” 

John gulped back a sob and ended up half choking, half laughing as he forced himself to look at the doctor, nodding whilst quickly swiping the back of his hand across his eyes. 

“I’m sorry……”

“Don’t be, John please. Your reaction is perfectly normal and understandable. Shall I continue or would you like a few moments?” 

John waved his hand in front of his face, his cheeks were burning hot. “No…….it’s ok, just a bit of a shock that’s all. You hear the word tumour and think the worst you know….”

“I understand, now whilst the growth isn’t cancerous it is causing a problem so the best course of action I believe is to remove it, by doing so your hormone levels should return to normal and your blood pressure should follow suit” 

Surgery……they wanted to operate on him

John had never had surgery in his life, he’d only ever had a few stitches and that itself had been years ago. The thought made is stomach churn, he suddenly felt a bit sick 

“You’ll have to operate on me?” 

“We will yes, however the procedure is a relatively simple one. We can carry it out using the laparoscopy or keyhold method, which will mean less scarring and a much quicker recovery time than traditional surgery. All being well you’ll be able to go home the morning after” 

John felt conflicted, he really hated the thought of being operated on, but knew that the doctor wouldn’t have suggested it if it wasn’t the best thing for him. God, how would Brian and the others react to this? 

“Will you have to knock me out?” John asked even though he already knew the answer 

“Yes the procedure will be carried out under general anaesthetic, you’ve not experienced any issues with that in the past as far as I’m aware?” 

“No” John replied “I’ve never had surgery before, though I do know I’m allergic to penicillin” 

The doctor smiled whilst jotting down a few notes “That’s fine, well with your consent we can carry out the procedure first thing tomorrow morning?”

John blinked in surprise, he wasn’t expecting anything to happen so quickly

“That soon?, wow, erm…..ok I guess, if it needs to be done. I’ll need to let Brian and my friends know what’s happening……” 

“Of course John, no problem at all. I’ll leave you in peace now whilst I make the arrangements. If anything changes I’ll let you know as soon as possible. You’ll be informed in good time though of when the procedure will take place in the morning, and of anything we need you to do beforehand” 

With that the doctor shook Johns hand and excused herself from the room, leaving him to sit back and let the situation sink in. He was scared, downright terrified at the thought of having an operation, and even more nervous about breaking the news to his friends and bandmates….this wasn’t going to be an easy conversation.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay in updating this, life has been getting in the way as usual! 
> 
> This chapter is a little short, as I have honestly struggled with it, so I'm sorry it it's a little over the place or doesn't make sense, any feedback would be gratefully appreciated so I can improve it. 
> 
> I think there will be 3-4 chapters of this story, the way I have it vaguely mapped out in my head. Watch this space!

Back at their hotel Brian was deep in slumber, enjoying the best and deepest few hours sleep he’d had in weeks, though it been an effort to get him to that place. The guitarist was adamant he wasn’t leaving the hospital until John had been discharged and swore that nothing, not a damn thing would change his mind….nothing anyone said or did seemed to make a difference, that was until the cheeky young bassist had enough and threatened to “never put out again” if Brian didn’t clear off right now and get some rest. Couldn’t really argue with that. 

Brian yawned, stretched and turned over in bed, John’s bed to be precise. He found it comforting to sleep in his boyfriends room rather than his own whilst they couldn’t physically spend the night together. His brain had trouble understanding why he was dreaming about a phone ringing, over and over, louder and louder…until he suddenly opened his eyes and realised with a startled yelp that the phone in the room actually was ringing. Who the hell would be calling John’s room? Brian said out loud to himself, everyone who mattered knew the young man wasn’t there. 

Whoever was calling wasn’t going to give up it seemed so with a loud sigh, Brian hauled himself out of bed and lurched over to the desk at the far end of the room, bracing himself for an argument. 

Picking up the receiver Brian abruptly barked out “what?!” Mr. Deacon isn’t here!” 

“…….I know I’m not…..John’s amused reply met his ear after a short somewhat stunned silence

“John? Oh god I’m so sorry love, that was so rude of me….I….er…..I….oh fuck it!” 

“it’s ok! I’m so sorry to wake you, I guessed you might be in my room as you didn’t answer the phone in yours….but, anyways I need to talk to you….I need you to come over to the hospital as soon as you can, bring Rog and Freddie too” 

Brian’s face fell at his boyfriends word, this sounded ominous…”Why, what’s going on Deaks? Are you ok?”

“Yes, I’m fine….look, Dr. Gerard has just been to see me, she had the results of my last two tests, they came back earlier than expected. They know now why my blood pressure went so far off the scale”

Brian’s grin almost split his face in two “oh that’s great, so they can finally sort you out then?, what did the results show?” 

“………..well, there’s good news and not so good news, that’s why I need see you, all of you”

Shit.

“Deaks love, what do you mean not so good news” Brian asked slowly, not being sure he wanted to hear the answer

“Bri I’d rather do this face to face, please? 

“No, come on my love, tell me what’s going on?” Brian wasn’t going to give in.  
“I…..Bri…..erm…..ok I’ll tell you…..but please bear with me as I’ve only just been told and am trying to get my head round it all still”

Brian waited silently for John to continue, struggling to keep his breathing under control 

“The ultrasound showed that I have a growth on the adrenal gland above my left kidney, Dr. Gerard called it a tumour but it’s not cancerous. It’s tiny, though the hormones it’s pumping out are causing my high blood pressure, that’s the simple version anyway” 

Brian breathed out slowly, having to stop himself from swearing loudly at the mention of the word tumour. 

“It’s not cancer…….they’re absolutely sure?” The older man was almost too afraid to ask 

“No, it’s definitely not cancerous, I promise Bri though it is causing me problems apparently, they say the best way to tackle this is to remove it…..that will fix my blood pressure too. They want to operate tomorrow morning” 

Oh god…..John had never had surgery before, the thought of it bought tears to Brian’s eyes 

“Bloody hell Deaks!, ok, look I’ll be there as soon as I can. I need to figure out where Rog and Freddie are, last time I saw them they were heading into town……shit!” 

“Bri it’s ok! It’s a simple operation so I’m told, should be over within a couple of hours. If it goes well I’ll be able to leave the hospital the day after” 

John could hear Brian sobbing silently down the phone, hiccupping as he tried to keep his voice down. It made his heart break, knowing how distressed his lover was, it was incredibly rare for the guitarist to break down like this. 

“Bri, listen to me, I’m ok and I will be ok, this operation is nothing to worry about I promise……Bri? Please say something you’re scaring me!” 

Brian coughed loudly, sniffed and wiped his free hand across his face “I’m so sorry love, I’m still here, I just wasn’t expecting this that’s all, I’m worried about you” 

John smiled to himself, it was nice in a weird way to have those he loved looking after and out for him “I know you are love, but there’s no need. Look, sort yourself out, get a coffee or whatever and go find the guys, I really want to see you all….please? for me? I can tell you more about all this when you get here. It’ll be much easier in person” 

John was right, the little bugger was always right 

“Ok, I’ll try and find them though it might take a while, I’ll be quick as I can……I love you” 

“I love you too, see you later” 

With that, Brian hung up the phone, sighed loudly and heavily and commenced operation find Roger and Freddie….

 

Finding the wayward drummer and singer turned out to not be as taxing as Brian had expected, they’d only stayed in town for a couple of hours after just wanting some fresh air and a stroll, a chance for the pair to catch up and talk. It had been nice really, just the two of them, something they’d not been able to do too much of lately (at least that was until John fell ill) 

The pair had barely stepped one foot inside the hotel lobby when Brian came barrelling down the stairs in search of them, earning some odd looks from the few other guests scattered around and the normally unflappable front desk staff. Brian thought to himself for a nano-second, yes he could have conducted himself in a much more discreet and calm manner, but fuck it! Deaky needed them!

“There you are, thank god! We need to get to the hospital right now, Deaky wants to see us all, I’ll drive”

“You what?, what’s going? “What’s the emergency? “he is he ok?!” Roger and Freddie’s words all jumbled and merged into each other and as they struggled to understand what on earth was happening. The pair didn’t get a chance to find out the answer as Brian literally dragged them both back outside again for the short drive to the hospital.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay in updating this, it's been a crazy summer. This is relatively short but it's something. I appreciate any comments, don't be shy! It's not my best work this time round as I really struggled with writers block

Back at the hospital John paced slowly and worriedly up and down the corridor outside his room, the nurses not paying him much attention as it was deemed good for him to stretch his legs during the day whenever he wanted to. The bassist bit nervously at his thumb, pausing several times to glance out the window across the hospital grounds, he wanted this over with quickly and to break the news of his impending surgery to his band mates, but could hazard a guess as to what Freddie and Rogers reaction would be. 

Not exactly over the moon…

It had been a good half an hour since John had spoken with Brian over the phone, glancing at his watch he glumly wondered how much longer he had until all hell would break loose…

Turned out he didn’t have to wait much longer at all

No sooner had John returned to his room and closed the door behind him the sound of frantic knocking and muffled voices could be heard. He hesitated briefly before gingerly turning the door handle, bracing himself for the angry faces he would no doubt be met with. 

“Hi guys, thanks for coming so quickly……”

Before he could get another word out John was enveloped by armfuls of Roger and Freddie, almost being crushed by their joint embrace. Amongst the melee he caught a glimpse of a tearful looking Brian stood nervously behind them, so he wrenched a hand free and gestured for him to join them in their group hug. 

 

After what seemed like an eternity John was finally released from his bandmates vice like grip and took a deep breath as he took a step back and looked up at them, it was obvious straight away that both Roger and Freddie knew what was going on by the concerned looks on their faces, Brian on the other hand wouldn’t look him in the eye for some reason, opting instead to concentrate his gaze on the floor, whilst trying to hold back his tears. What on earth had the guitarist said to the others? 

“Deaky mate, what’s all this about surgery?!” Roger suddenly demanded, breaking the awkward silence. “Yes, dear what’s going on?” Freddie added, “we all thought this horrible situation was pretty much over for you, and you were getting better?” 

John sighed, slumping down on his bed, scrubbing a hand across his face “I guess Brian filled you in then” 

“I had to love, well the basics anyway” Brian explained before walking over to join his boyfriend, pecking him on the cheek and picking up his hand to lace their fingers together. “I couldn’t exactly drag the guys over here suddenly and not tell them why” 

John sighed deeply again, leaning his head on Brian’s shoulder. “come take a seat fellas and I’ll explain everything” 

Roger and Freddie both dragged a chair over to Johns bedside and got comfortable, well as comfortable as they could in a hard plastic seat, and waited expectantly for the bassist to start talking. Brian all the while held his hand and rubbed soothing circles around his lower back 

“It’s nothing serious honestly” John began, holding up a hand as he sensed that Roger was about to interrupt. The drummer had opened his mouth to say something but stopped suddenly when he felt Freddie’s hand on his shoulder. “it’s NOT serious Rog I promise, Dr. Gerard told me this morning it isn’t, but it is necessary” 

“All the tests are done and they have all the results back, the reason I have severe high blood pressure is because of a growth on the renal gland above my left kidney…..the Dr called it a tumour…” 

“A tumour?!” Freddie cried, “my God John…you just said it wasn’t serious!” 

Roger was equally astounded “not serious my arse!, Christ Deaks….” 

“GUYS PLEASE!” 

There was a stunned silence in the room as everyone stared at John following his angry outburst. It was incredibly rare for the bassist to shout or even raise his voice in anger, he was normally so mild mannered and still displayed bouts of shyness at times even when he was with his bandmates. 

“Freddie, Rog, please let John finish, it’s hard enough for him right now” Brian pleaded with this bandmates for calm whilst wrapping his arms around his boyfriends now shaking shoulders. This couldn’t be good for his blood pressure….

John scrubbed a hand across his face and released the breath he was holding before looking up to meet the concerned gaze of his friends. “it’s a non-cancerous tumour” he continued “I don’t have cancer ok, I really don’t, I’ve been reassured of that much. What I do have is a growth called a pheo….pheoch……oh hang on” John reached across to his bedside table for the notes his doctor had left him 

“It’s a pheochromocytoma” he read out loud slowly, glancing at Brian who gave him an encouraging smile “it’s pumping out two different types of hormone which have caused my high blood pressure, I’ve been told I need surgery to remove it which should get me back to normal again” 

“Do they really have to operate on you darling” Freddie spoke up, “can’t they give you some drugs or something to make it go away?” 

“No Fred, it doesn’t work like that” John sighed “Look, If it’s any consolation it won’t be a major operation so I’m told. Laproscopic the doctor said, or something like that. They’ll make a small incision, and use a long instrument to go in and suck out the growth then stitch me up again, should be over in less than two hours…that’s the simple version anyway” 

“There’s no such thing as risk free surgery” Roger mumbled quietly, before getting to his feet and wandering over to the window. The drummer shoved his hands in his pockets to stop them from fidgeting with worry and nervousness. He hated to admit it but he was terrified about his younger band mate having to go under the knife. 

“Rog, Fred come here…come on.” 

John held his hands out to both men gesturing for them to join him and Brian on his bed, they hesitated initially but after much sighing and wiping of eyes they gave in and shuffled over. The bassist took their hands in his pulling them in to take a seat beside him without taking his eyes off them. 

“I get that you’re frightened guys, Christ I’m scared shitless. I’ve never had an operation before and I really don’t relish the idea of being knocked out but…..it has to be done” 

“I’m not thrilled about it either love” Brian spoke up, “but if it means we can get you home safe and healthy then so be it” 

“Well……” Freddie squeezed Johns hand, “when will this operation take place then?” 

“…………first thing tomorrow morning, 8am to be precise” John admitted quietly, “that’s why I wanted to see you all this evening, but like I said there’s no need to worry….” 

“Tomorrow morning….my god” Roger sucked in a breath, “not hanging around then are they?” 

“No” John said, “they erm, want to get this out of the way ASAP really, get me fighting fit and out of the door” 

“And fighting fit you shall be darling” Freddie clasped John’s hand tighter “I know you will be” 

It was at that moment that the barriers came down, the stress of the last few hours becoming too much to bear and the tears came. The young bassists shoulders shook as he bowed his head and silently sobbed. His friends, brothers and bandmates pulled him close into a loving group hug, murmuring soothing words and gently rubbing his back. They stayed like this for some time, not wanting to break contact, somehow hoping they could delay the inevitable. 

Eventually the tears dried, smiles slowly formed and the four musicians settled down for the evening, talking and laughing, determined to enjoy what time they had left with John before they would be kicked out for the night. Johns impending surgery weighed heavily on all their minds as they did their best to relax, none of them knowing what the following 24 hours may bring.

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued....?


End file.
